Ten Thousand Things I Hate About You
by PJ XD
Summary: Lily Evans despised James Potter from their very first meeting. He adored her from the start. This is the story of how he managed to so drastically change her heart.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey Guys!**

**I haven't written anything in a good long while, but this story was one I've been waiting for inspiration to write. And here it begins. **

**I'll try to update it regularly, but I know I'm a little sporadic when it comes to updates. I'll aim for once a week. **

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**PJ x**

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_Disclaimer - It is sadly Ms Rowling, and not me, that owns this world and all it's characters, much as I wish that wasn't the case._

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Prologue

_Lily_

I glanced at Petunia one last time, almost scared of the venomous look she gave me. She was skulking behind my mum and dad, shooting nervous glances at the people in cloaks that surrounded her. Well, she meant them to be nervous, but I knew better. They were wistful.

"Oh, sweetheart, we're going to miss you so much!" My mother blubbered for the hundredth time, clutching at me as though it was going to be the last time she ever saw me. It did feel that way – ever since I got my letter to Hogwarts, I'd been both afraid and excited. I was leaving my parents, but I was going somewhere magical.

"Make sure you're careful, and that you write to us every three days, at least," Dad chipped in, ruffling my long, red hair the way he always did. He blinked at me with watery emerald eyes, and I felt my own, an exact copy of his, well up with tears.

"Oh, look, Lily, there's Severus!" Mum exclaimed, pointing towards my best friend, who I hadn't noticed lurking a few families away, looking a bit lonely, despite the fact that his mother was standing beside him. She looked as though she'd rather not be there. I chanced a glance at Petunia, whose lip was slowly curling as her eyes focused on the one person in the world she hated more than me. My heart sank.

"Tuney, can I talk to you a minute?" I asked, seizing her hand and tugging her a few metres away from my parents. As soon as we were out of earshot, she tugged her hand back as though she was scared she might catch something from me.

Her gaze was frosty at best. "What?" she demanded flatly.

"Aren't you going to say bye?" I mumbled timidly.

"Bye," she responded, in the same dead tone.

"Petunia, I know you wanted to come to Hogwarts, and I know you're angry at me…"

"That's not true!"

"I know it is," I reminded her gently. Her glare was suddenly so cold I shrank back a step.

"I know Professor Dumbledore didn't send you a letter too, and I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry!" She moved to walk away from me again, but I caught her hand and held on tightly. "Listen, maybe once I'm there – no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

"I don't – want – to – go!" she heaved her hand away from me and backed up a few paces. Her eyes blazed with fury. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn how to be a – a…"

I blanched, waiting for the next words, watching her eyes scan my soon – to – be schoolmates. "You think I want to be a – a freak!"

My eyes stung with tears again. "I'm not a freak. That's a horrible thing to say."

She rounded on me, her eyes glittering with malice. "That's where you're going. A school for freaks. You and that Snape boy… weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."

I looked at my parents, examining other families with interest, marvelling over the scarlet steam engine. Then I looked back at Petunia, who was glaring so hard it must've hurt her face. I scowled.

"You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and begged him to take you!" I spat.

The colour rose in her cheeks. "Beg? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply, it was very kind."

Her voice dropped to a hiss. "You shouldn't have read – that was my private – how could you - ?"

My eyes twitched in Severus's direction of their own accord. Petunia gasped.

"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"

"No – not sneaking – Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn't believe that a muggle had contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of..."

"Apparently, wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" Petunia growled, so aggressively that a nearby woman turned to stare. "Freak!"

Without a backwards glance, she stormed off towards our parents again, and this time I didn't try to stop her. I kept my head down and stubbornly fought the tears that were threatening to spill over my eyes.

It took me a moment to pull myself together again, and then I returned to my parents. I didn't so much as glance at my sister as I hugged them goodbye and boarded the train as quickly as I could.

I wandered down the corridor slowly, my head bowed, glancing into every compartment to see if it was empty. None of them were – the best I could manage was a carriage with three boys who looked my age sprawled across the seats, chatting and laughing noisily. Sighing, I slid open the door, and picked my way past them to curl up in the corner by the window, pressing my forehead against the cold glass. None of the boys paid me any attention.

"So then," one of the boys was saying loudly, managing to hold the other two as a captivated audience. "My dad tried to park the car, which was actually the most hilarious thing I have ever seen! It took him about ten tries, and he was swearing under his breath the whole time. I swear, he nearly killed a muggle lady."

I glanced round to see that it was a boy with round glasses and messy black hair who was speaking. The other two were dark haired as well, one very handsome, who was grinning appreciatively at the story, the other quieter, tired and peaky-looking. I turned back to the window as the train began to pull away, giving my parents a half-hearted wave as I passed them.

"Blimey, James, I'd never have gotten in the car!" The handsome boy said, laughing.

"Yeah, well, thing is, Sirius, it was that or a fifty mile walk. I had no real choice," James was laughing along as he answered. I felt my eyes burn with tears again, and fought them once more.

"What about you, Remus, how'd you get here?" Sirius asked the quietest boy.

"Floo network," he replied cheerfully. "My dad doesn't know how to drive."

"Neither does mine," James pointed out, and both boys laughed.

I tuned out, unwilling to listen to more of their happy conversation when I was feeling so miserable. Rain drops were spattering the window outside, and I watched the soggy scenery without really seeing it, thinking mostly about Petunia's expression, as her bitter words rang in my ears. It was getting dark before anything happened to snap me out of my despair.

The compartment door slid open again, and in walked the very last person I wanted to see. Severus. He was wearing his school robes already, and I couldn't blame him. They were nicer than his muggle clothes by far.

"I don't want to talk to you," I told him, the lump in my throat making it difficult to get the words out.

"Why not?" he asked, moving to sit down beside me.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?" he shrugged. I turned to glare at him.

"So she's my sister!" I hastily wiped the escaping tears from my cheek, and I missed what he'd just said in response.

He smiled at me cajolingly. "But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

I nodded, and I couldn't help but give a tiny smile at the thought. A glimmer of excitement washed through my sadness.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," he told me seriously.

"Slytherin?" James – the – storyteller butted into the conversation, his eyebrows raised halfway up his forehead. I didn't even think he'd noticed we were there. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

He was asking the boy called Sirius for his opinion. He looked a bit morose. "My whole family have been in Slytherin."

"Blimey! And I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius lounged back on his seat, grinning. "Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

"Gryffindor," replied James with no hesitation. "_Where dwell the brave at heart_, like my dad."

Severus snorted slightly.

"Got a problem with that?" James rounded on him.

"No," Sev sneered, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy."

"Where're you hoping to go then, seeing as you're neither?" shot Sirius rudely. James gave a great shout of laughter, and I stood up, glaring at the both of them with intense dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo..."

Sev stood to follow me, and James and Sirius did imitations of my voice that sounded ridiculous as I left. I looked back in time to see James stick his foot out to trip Severus. My jaw clenched in anger.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called after us, as Sev slammed the door, hard. I huffed in exasperation.

I barely knew James, but already I was positive that I didn't like him and I never would.


	2. Better Than Them

**Fifth Year, Second Term**

_**James**_

"What?" I said blankly, turning to Sirius and realising that I hadn't listened to a single word he'd been saying. The look on his face told me that he'd figured that out long before I had.

"I said, 'Listen to me when I'm telling you a story, you troll.'" His mouth twitched into his usual grin, and I instantly felt better about zoning out.

"Sorry, I was… distracted."

"Would your distraction be a pretty green-eyed redhead sitting by the common room window, by any chance?" The smirk he was wearing told me that he didn't need an answer. I punched him on the arm.

"Leave it out, Sirius."

"It's pretty obvious that you love her, James. You smile every time anyone around you mentions her name."

"I do not!" I protested under my breath, feeling my cheeks flush.

Sirius leaned across the table towards me, staring me boldly in the eye. "Lily," he whispered, and embarrassingly, I felt my lips curve upwards. I clamped my hand over my mouth, glaring at my friend. He raised his eyebrows as if to say point proved.

"That doesn't mean anything!" I hissed.

"Sure," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Look, I have a bit of a thing for Evans. That is not the same as being in love with her," I growled. A movement to my left made me start, and I glanced round to find Remus flopping into the vacant seat beside me, looking even more tired than usual.

"Evening, Moony," I greeted him, and he grinned at us both.

"What are we talking about?" he asked, glancing from Sirius to me and back again.

"Prongs and his deep, soppy, heartfelt love for Lily Evans," Sirius replied matter-of-factly.

"Non-existent love!" I defended, and was dismayed to see Remus joining in with Sirius's disbelieving smirk.

"Don't try and deny it, James. We all know. It's so obvious!" Moony told me exactly what Sirius had just said.

"It is not – wait, you all know? Does she know?" I panicked, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. She was still hunched up by the window, oblivious to our conversation. Thank Merlin.

"Probably," Sirius shrugged. "Subtlety was never your forte, my friend."

"Where's Wormtail?" Remus asked, changing the subject for my benefit, no doubt.

"Upstairs asleep already, I reckon. That's where I'm heading now," Sirius answered, stifling a yawn. "You coming?"

I glanced at Lily again. "Nah, I'll stay here for a bit. See you later."

"Okay, Remus?"

"Yeah, I'm shattered," he agreed, and both stood simultaneously. "We'll leave you to your stalkerish behaviour then, shall we?"

"Shut up, Remus," I grumbled, and the pair of them made their way towards the boys' dormitory, chuckling the whole way.

I waited until their laughter had faded away to glance around the Gryffindor common room. With a jolt of surprise, I realised that it was completely empty, save for Lily and I. She still hadn't budged an inch, gazing out the window with a really lost, empty expression. I used the rare opportunity to drink her in.

Her hair was so vibrant next to her pale skin, her features delicate. Her slim frame was hunched over, the way it always was when she was unhappy about something, her shoulders rounded as physical protection from whatever thoughts were bothering her. As I watched, she sighed, her hair fluttering with her exhalation.

Seizing my chance, I pushed myself out of my chair and walked slowly over to her. Her bright emerald eyes swivelled up to meet mine as I got right up to her side, and, as I expected, her expression was openly hostile.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked wearily.

"I wanted to apologise for what happened by the lake today. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, honestly." She had to know that my words were sincere, surely.

"Too little, too late," she responded shortly. I frowned.

"Look, I know I've always picked on Sniv- I mean – Severus, and he's your mate, but I don't…"

"Not anymore."

"What?" I was confused.

"He's not my friend anymore," she explained slowly, as though each word was heavy. I sank down onto the window seat, facing her.

"What happened?"

"It's none of your business," she snapped. Her expression softened slightly, and she looked contrite. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bite your head off. It's just that I don't want to talk about it."

I nodded, but unable to resist asking, I blurted, "Was it because he called you a – a you-know-what?"

She surveyed me carefully for a moment, deciding whether to answer me or not. Then, reluctantly, she nodded.

"He's a son of a –" I began, but she cut me off with one sharp look.

"It wasn't just that. There were a whole lot of reasons. But we're not friends anymore, suffice it to say."

"Lily… are we friends?" I asked with trepidation. She looked at me like I had just sprouted another head and started speaking in Mermish.

"Don't be ridiculous, James. I don't like you."

That stung, but a good seeker never gives up. And I was more than just a good seeker. "Why not?"

"Where do I start? You're rude, and arrogant, and a bully. You think you're better than everyone else because you fly around on a… wait, I swear I've been through this with you already today."

I half-smiled. "I thought that was because you were angry."

"It doesn't make it any less true," she pointed out, and I winced. She was being too harsh on me, I thought. Sure, I wasn't exactly the nicest guy on the planet, but I was nowhere near as bad as she was making out. I couldn't feel guilty for the way I spoke to Snape, or the way I acted. The mini Death Eater had it coming.

"I'm not as bad as you say I am, Evans," I murmured, and she swung her hair back to stare defiantly into my eyes.

"Oh no?" she challenged. "Prove it, Potter. Show me that you aren't the person I think you are. I bet you can't."

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll show you. Come to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday."

She appraised me for a moment. "I tell you what, I'll make you a deal. The next Hogsmeade visit after this weekend isn't for another 5 weeks. If you've proved me wrong by then, I'll go with you."

I considered her offer. It wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind, but it would have to do. I nodded, and extended my hand for a handshake.

"Deal," I agreed. We shook.

"Now, if you don't mind, James, I have a lot of homework to do." That was a dismissal, and I stood. Then I noticed that she had absolutely no books with her.

"Where're your books?"

Her cheeks coloured slightly, but she didn't answer my question. I decided not to push my luck; I'd gotten more out of her today than I had in the last five years, so I should've been grateful.

Still, I couldn't resist offering her one last piece of Potter wisdom. "You know, you're way too good to be sitting on a windowsill worrying about some little Slytherin who thinks that who your parents are makes a difference to the kind of witch you can be. You know that nothing the Death Eater types say about blood purity is true, right? I mean, look at you. You're the smartest witch I know. Smarter than all the Slytherin lot put together. If you don't believe me, ask Slughorn."

She half-turned towards me again, and I saw the ghost of a genuine smile gracing her face for a moment.

"Thanks."

I nodded, and turned to walk up to the boys' dormitory, my heart feeling lighter than it had in a while. It was pathetic, really, but even five minutes of Lily Evans' company made all the difference.

Maybe Sirius was right, I thought. Maybe I do love her.


	3. Moony

**A/N: Realised I made a chronological error in the last chapter... it was actually term 4, not term 2, when the lake incident happened. Oops!**

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**Fifth Year, Fourth Term**

_**Lily**_

Professor McGonagall was hovering over Sirius's desk, practically burning a hole through him with the intensity of her gaze, and yet he remained completely oblivious to her presence. He was too busy charming Mulciber's shoelaces so that they knotted themselves together.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, and Sirius jumped, his dark hair falling over his face and obscuring his equally chocolate eyes. I had no idea why girls swooned over him. I mean, yes, he was attractive, but he was such a… poser. And a bully. Let's not forget that.

But I didn't object to him being horrible to Mulciber. The boy was pure evil; he deserved a taste of his own medicine. All the same, I couldn't resist smiling at the expression on McGonagall's face. A face like thunder…

"Mr Black, I'm aware that for a proficient student such as yourself, my lessons may seem unbelievably boring, but it would be greatly appreciated if you would at least pretend that my classes are more worthy of your attention than Mr Mulciber's shoelaces." Sarcasm dripped from her every word, and Sirius jumped about a foot in the air, whirling to face her. Mulciber glanced down at his shoelaces with an expression of malevolent surprise, and threw Sirius the nastiest look I had ever seen. Unable to help myself, I chuckled.

Sirius's cheeks didn't go red, as mine would have, but he had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Professor," he muttered, and she swept away from him with a curt nod. As soon as her back was turned, he made an obscene hand gesture at Mulciber, who was still glaring.

"Lily!" Mary, my best friend, was leaning across her desk trying to get my attention. I turned to her expectantly.

"What?"

"Look at Potter!"

I swivelled further in my seat to see James, who had been separated from Sirius during McGonagall's lessons from the third day of our first year, actually bent down over his Transfiguration book, his forehead creased with concentration. I blinked, surprised. I wasn't aware that James Potter had ever opened a textbook during a lesson. As I was watching, he caught my eye and grinned, before returning to his reading.

I didn't know what to make of the whole thing. Did he honestly think that just because he was seen to be concentrating in Transfiguration it would prove to me that he had changed?

Once we had been dismissed, everybody was out of the door in a flash. Everybody, that is, except for me, because I was still packing away, and James Potter and Remus Lupin, who were quietly discussing something in the corner.

Remus Lupin was the nicest of Potter's little clique by a mile. He was quiet, kept to himself, and much more humble than any of his friends, despite being the most academically clever. He was the only one of the bunch that was made a prefect. He was the only one who deserved it. He never spoke to me much – except when we were doing prefect duties together – but when we did speak he was always polite and kind.

Still… there was something strange about him. Not necessarily in a bad way, mind you, but there was just… Sometimes, I wondered if he was really sick. He'd go so pale he'd turn grey, and the circles under his eyes would make him look as though he'd just had a fight. But Remus wasn't the type to fight with anybody.

I ducked my head under the pretence of picking up my quill, and listened in on their conversation as unobtrusively as I could manage.

"Listen, Moony, it's not going to be a problem."

"You don't know that!" I was surprised to hear Remus's voice sounding so harsh.

"Trust me! Look, me and Sirius and Peter, we know what we're doing. It'll be fine."

"James, you don't understand the danger you're putting yourself in! We've been lucky so far, but what about next time? What if I lose control and hurt one of you? I couldn't live with myself! I mean, it was bad enough a few weeks ago when Snape…"

"Sssh! Do you want to get us all in trouble? That was Padfoot's mistake, and I corrected it, didn't I? What if McGonagall was running around in cat form right now, and she heard you?"

"Yes, because people running around pretending to be animals tend to get into trouble, don't they, Prongs?"

I didn't think either of them even realised I was still here, crouched by the side of my desk as I was. I was transfixed by their conversation. It almost sounded as though… but no, that would be impossible.

"Ouch, that almost hurt," James joked, clasping his hands over his heart and staggering backwards. Remus's expression softened.

"I can tell I'm not going to win with you, am I?"

"I'm unreasonably stubborn, as well you know."

"So you'll be there tonight, I suppose?"

"As soon as the sun sets, my friend. You coming to lunch?"

"I'll catch you up in a minute. Save me a seat."

James began walking towards the door, calling over his shoulder as he went. "A seat, I can manage, but don't come crying to me if the treacle tart is gone."

"I know you'll have eaten it all…" Remus muttered, beginning to pack his books away. I stayed frozen, not wanting to give myself away by standing up. Apparently, I didn't need to.

"You can come out now, Lily." Remus's words made my heart leap into my throat. Knowing I'd been rumbled, I had no choice but to pick myself off the floor, brushing the hair from my eyes.

He didn't look mad. In fact, he looked sort of amused.

"Sorry," I muttered, blushing furiously.

"It's alright. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of you. Believe me, I know." He smiled at me cheerily, but I couldn't help noticing that he looked more withdrawn than I'd seen him in about a month. His face was almost colourless; his eyes rimmed red and bruised looking.

"Remus, are you okay?" I asked gently. "If you're in some sort of trouble…"

His expression was still good-natured, but heavier somehow. "I'm fine, Lily. Really. There's no need to worry about me. I'll be back to normal in a couple of days."

I barely heard him. A frightening thought had just occurred to me. "After the sun sets…" I muttered, mentally calculating. It seemed as though Remus was ill every month, _at the same time_ every month. He'd disappear from the dormitories at night-time, and we wouldn't see him for a couple of days. And his friends… they'd always be conspicuously absent at night too.

A conversation I'd had with Severus a month ago flashed through my head.

_"There's something off about that Lupin kid. The one that hangs around with Potter."_

_"Like what, Sev?"_

_"Lily, I think… I've been doing research, and I think he might be a werewolf."_

_"Don't be ridiculous!"_

_"Come on! It's not ridiculous! I think that's why he's ill so often. Around the full moon. It's because…"_

_"Oh, Sev, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."_

I gasped, my eyes going wide as saucers. As impossible and mental as I had thought it, somehow it was true. It had to be. Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

"Remus…" I breathed, taking in his rigid stance, his fearful yet resigned expression. "Are you a werewolf?"

I expected him to shout, to deny it, to laugh in my face, to say something mean. I expected anything but the defeated look he gave me before slumping back down into his chair.

"Yes," he whispered, placing his head in his hands.

He looked so vulnerable, so helpless, that my heart dropped like a stone. I hadn't even thought about how difficult it must be for him, how much harder I'd just made it by figuring out his secret.

I sank into the chair next to his, reaching across the desk to lay my hand on his arm. He jumped guiltily at my touch, then stared at me in shock, as though I should find him completely abhorrent.

"Remus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I have no idea what it must be like for you…"

He looked astounded, as though he couldn't believe I would speak to him like a human being. As though suddenly, because he'd told me about what he turned into for 12 nights a year, that would somehow make me forget who he was the other 353 nights.

"You don't have to pretend to feel sorry for me, Lily," his voice was rough and broken, and it made my heart hurt.

"I'm not pretending. I _am_ sorry, Remus. Really, really sorry. How…how long have you been…?"

"A werewolf?" he finished my sentence with a flinch. "About 9 years now. It happened when I was nearly seven."

"Do you know who…?"

His eyes deadened inside as he answered. "Greyback."

I pressed my lips together tightly, bowing my head in sympathy. Fenrir Greyback was the nastiest of the nasty, and rumour had it he had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. He was as scary a threat to little witches and wizards as a muggle ghost story was to muggle children.

"I wasn't going to come to Hogwarts. My parents thought it wasn't safe. Professor Dumbledore insisted. He had the Whomping Willow planted outside, so that there'd be a place I could go, to protect the other students when I was transformed."

"I always wondered why that dreadful tree was there!" I exclaimed, pleased to have one little mystery about the castle solved at last. Remus hung his head, and I realised instantly that I had made a horrible faux pas.

"It was my fault," he mumbled to the desk. I gripped his hand; it was all the comfort I could offer.

"No. None of this is your fault."

He met my gaze, saw the determined truth reflected in my eyes. Poor Remus… he had no control over any of this.

"I'm surprised you aren't frightened of me now," he remarked.

"Why would I be? You're the same Remus Lupin I've known for years. That doesn't change because I find out you're a werewolf."

Remus met my eyes again and smiled the first genuinely happy smile I had seen him wear for weeks. "You're the best person I know, Lily. Do you know that? No matter what happens, I'll always think that about you."

My eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, I had no idea what to say.

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**A/N: Okay, so Lily and James are going to jump ahead a couple of years in the next chapter, but I thought I'd establish the fact that Lily knows that Remus is a werewolf earlier on. Here's a brief summary of what happens during the rest of fifth/sixth year. James loses the bet and never gets to take Lily to Hogsmeade, Lily doesn't speak to Snape at all, and she becomes really good friends with Remus. James, meanwhile, dates Lily's best friend in an attempt to make her jealous, then when it doesn't work, he dumps her, and concentrates his efforts on scheming plans with the other Marauders and trying to get Remus to persuade Lily to go out with him, unsuccessfully. **

**Next chapter will be seventh year!**

**PJ x**


	4. A Subtle Difference

_Seventh Year_

**James**

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"Ugh!" Sirius dropped into the seat beside me with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face. Three days into the start of the year, and he already looked like he wanted to gouge out his own eyes.

"Problem?" I wondered absentmindedly, doodling on a scrap of parchment instead of paying real attention.

"Detention tonight," Sirius responded sulkily. I laughed, whipping my head round to look at him properly. Already?

"What for?" I was almost impressed. Three days into school, and he'd gotten detention already.

"McGonagall caught me trying to put a doxy down Mulciber's trousers," he replied bitterly. I let out a shout of laughter.

"HA! What did you do when she caught you?"

Sirius shrugged. "I carried on."

Still chuckling, I looked round as the door to the dungeon swung open again. Immediately, I sat up a little straighter. Remus had just sidled through the door, accompanied by none other than Lily Evans, looking disconcertingly pretty with her long red hair half pulled back off her face.

Remus had just muttered something to her; she laughed animatedly and shoved him with her shoulder. My jaw clenched as jealousy bubbled in the pit of my stomach. I knew there was nothing going on between them – Remus would never betray me like that – but seeing them laughing and joking together made my chest hurt a little.

The only small consolation was that, when Lily drew level with the bench where the Slytherins sat, she paused only to throw Snivellus a very nasty look. He stared stonily back at her, apparently unconcerned, but I saw his face fall as soon as she turned away. Grinning to myself, I lounged back in my chair and waved them over.

Remus threw his books down unceremoniously beside Sirius and collapsed into his chair. I noticed he was looking a bit peaky – the full moon was only a few days away. I gave him a wan smile.

It was only when I heard the scraping of the chair to my left that I turned around again, surprised. My heart nearly stopped.

I had expected Lily to keep walking. She usually sat with her best friend and room-mate Mary Macdonald and Alice Merrythought from Ravenclaw. Not today, though. No, today, she had pulled up the chair next to me, and was calmly flipping through her textbook.

"Alright Evans?" I greeted, working hard to keep the nervousness out of my voice. She glanced up to spare me a small smile, bright green eyes sparkling. The Head Girl badge was gleaming on her chest; a reminder of the thus-far neglected identical badge I had stuffed into a pair of old socks in my trunk, for fear of Sirius's mockery. My parents had been thrilled when I got the Headship, unable to believe that Dumbledore had even considered me for the spot. Sirius, on the other hand, had crowed with laughter and forbidden me from wearing the little silver emblem in public.

Sirius nudged me sharply in the ribs as I thought this, and I turned to him expectantly. His dark eyes flickered to Lily, and back to me, and a slow, knowing grin spread across his face. I kicked him.

Just then, the door creaked open once more, and Professor Slughorn shuffled into the room, his belly entering a good minute or so before the rest of him. The dragon skin belt around his robes looked fit to burst – he'd clearly overindulged with the crystallised pineapple over the holidays.

"Afternoon, everyone!" he boomed jovially around the room. We all mumbled our greetings back to him. Lily closed her book and leaned across the desk, determined to give Slughorn her undivided attention.

"Today, we're going to be brewing a funny little potion. Consider it a pet project for the next few weeks. Amortentia. Now, who here knows the effects of a correctly brewed draught of amortentia?"

Lily's hand shot into the air, as usual. She was, as Sluggy liked to put it, a 'dab hand at potions'.

"Lily, my dear?" he twinkled at her, smiling like he'd only just discovered how to do it. She grinned back at him, her expression a little sheepish.

"It's the world's strongest love potion. When drank, it creates a powerful and overwhelming obsession, or infatuation, with the one who created it."

"Precisely," Slughorn replied, positively glowing at her. "Take ten well earned points for Gryffindor."

I resisted the overwhelmingly childish urge to make an obscene hand-gesture at Snivelly as he turned in his chair to look at Lily. His eyes fell on her for a moment, then flickered to me in the seat next to her. I reclined backwards slightly, smirking. The crestfallen expression on his face when he saw the new seating arrangements was even more satisfying than swearing at him.

Sirius waited until Slughorn had turned away, and flicked a shrivelfig at Snape. It bounced, with masterful precision, off his eye. My grin widened.

"Stop that!" Lily hissed at Sirius, her green eyes flashing angrily.

He caught my gaze just as I inclined my eyes skywards.

"Okay, so the instructions are on the board now," Slughorn jabbed his wand at the blackboard – a complicated guide to amortentia-brewing had suddenly appeared. "If you need any additional guidance, turn to page four-hundred-and-two of _Advanced Potion Making_. Good luck, boys and girls!"

"So… Evans…" I murmured as she started thinly slicing valerian roots, "Planning to test your amortentia out on anyone?"

She turned to face me, but to my surprise, she seemed amused, rather than exasperated. "No, Potter."

"Just, cause, y'know, I'm offering to be a test subject," I replied, undeterred. Again, in a highly unprecedented Lily move, she laughed. As though she'd _actually_ found me _funny_.

"I'll bear that in mind," she responded, humour colouring her tone.

"Prongs doesn't need to try your amortentia, Lil. He's already head-over-heels in love with you," Sirius interjected. I stamped on his foot. Hard.

Lily glanced up at him, eyes glittering. "Oh, I know," she said sweetly.

And now, I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me whole.

I vented my feelings by aiming a kick at my best friend, but missed, and accidentally clipped Remus in the shin. He swore softly under his breath, eyes watering.

"Sorry, Moony," I muttered.

There was nothing but tense and faintly embarrassed silence emanating from me for the next hour, and by the time we were due to leave, the room was filled with spiralling steam that smelled strongly of Lily's perfume, and Quidditch. She gave me a small smile before she left, told Moony that she'd see him later on, and gave Padfoot a weary shake of her head. The three of us trudged down to the paddocks near the Forbidden Forest to collect Peter from Care of Magical Creatures. Wormtail's lessons always ran long – probably because Professor Kettleburn's shortage of limbs was now becoming a hindrance to his lessons' progress.

"I can't believe you, Padfoot!" I fumed, as soon as we were well out of Lily Evans' earshot.

"Well, it's true," he dismissed, grinning lazily. He knew I would never stay annoyed at him for long.

"But still!"

"She didn't seem especially displeased by the idea today though, did she, Moony?" Sirius asked slyly.

"No," Remus pretended to ponder. "In fact, I think you almost might have a shot, Prongs."

"Ha, ha."

"I'm serious," he said earnestly.

I studied his face for a long time, determined not to believe him. "Nah, she hates me."

"She sat next to you voluntarily today. She even laughed at your joke. It seemed a bit like… well, call me crazy, but it seemed like she was flirting with you."

I grinned, but a part of me was still sceptical. "Um, I don't…"

"You know what, mate?" Sirius cut across me decisively, clapping me on the back. "I think that Head Boy badge might come in handy after all."

And for _Padfoot_ to say that, I knew it was the truth.

Maybe I did have a shot.

* * *

**A/N; Don't worry, I'm not going to make it that easy! **

**But I just wanted to capture Sirius' reaction to James' Head Boy badge - he wouldn't be pleased unless it served the greater purpose of mischief!**

**PJ x**


	5. It Just Got Serious

**Seventh Year**

* * *

_Lily_

* * *

"You're staring at Potter again," Alice told me, dropping into the vacant seat at my side. I jumped guiltily, feeling my face flush. Curse my stupid pale skin.

The rest of the Herbology greenhouses were filling up slowly, and Ravenclaws and Gryffindors alike were milling around, trying to find seats. Potter was reclined in a chair two benches away, chatting amiably to Sirius Black, who was perched on top of the table beside him, kicking one leg dangerously close to a stray venomous tentacula.

"I'm not staring," I muttered defensively. She smirked.

"No, now you're blushing."

"Shut up. I'm just… I still don't understand how he managed to become Head Boy." This was a question with which I had been wrestling for a good fortnight now, and I still could not come up with a reasonable answer.

"Well… he's super-smart, cocky, a strong leader, thoroughly fanciable, and you can't deny he's got charisma," Mary arrived at my side, collapsing onto the chair on my left. "I say, why not?"

A small frown appeared between my eyebrows as I watched Potter give a shout of laughter at something Sirius had just said. Remus, I noticed, was smiling too, albeit absently. He was looking peaky, I noticed. Must be that time of the month.

Something Mary had just said suddenly registered with me. "James Potter is _not_ fanciable."

"Tell that to every other girl in our year, then," Mary replied coolly.

"There's nothing attractive about being a show-off," I said loftily, flicking open my textbook and rifling through the pages as though I didn't have a care in the world.

"Sure there is, Evans."

I turned around to see Sirius Black standing at my shoulder. He looked, as always, annoyingly handsome. It was effortless for him, just like everything else in life. Him and James, they had it so easy.

"Hi, Sirius," Mary muttered, blushing slightly.

He shot her a crooked grin, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Alright, Mary?"

I turned to my friend, busy playing with a strand of her long dark hair, and gave her a reproachful look. "What's up, Sirius?"

"Does something have to be up for me to come over to speak to you?" he asked faux-innocently. Alice and I exchanged a glance.

"Usually," we chorused.

He laughed, a gruff bark that sounded like a dog. "Well, mainly, I wanted to ask you a favour, Lily," he began, slowly, as though trying not to poke a sleeping bear.

"No, you can't copy my essay," I said flatly.

"Not what I was going to ask," he responded, grinning. Clearly, whatever he was about to ask, it was amusing to him. I was suddenly sure that I didn't want to know whatever it was.

"Go on, then," I sighed, feeling it would be best to get it over with quickly.

"James asked me why you sat next to him in Potions yesterday," Sirius said seriously, though there was no mistaking the wicked glint in his chocolate eyes. "And it got me thinking… dear old Prongs isn't growing on you, is he?"

"No," I replied shortly. "I just…"

But I couldn't finish the sentence. Lord knows why.

He smirked. "'S what I thought." He nodded to my friends. "Ladies."

Without another word, he spun on his heel and swaggered back to the table where his friends sat, pushing Peter Pettigrew aside slightly so as to whisper something to Potter. The look on his face when Sirius straightened up so that I could fully see Potter… it was like all his Christmases had come at once. I watched him mouth 'Really?' to his best friend, who in turn, nodded.

Herbology passed in a blur. I wasn't sure why, but I was distinctly paranoid that Sirius had told James something about me. I abandoned Mary and Alice at the end of the lesson, muttering something under my breath about visiting Hagrid.

* * *

The cool air seemed to rid me of some of my nerves. By the time I reached the pumpkin patch in the corner of Hagrid's garden, I had all but forgotten about Potter and his cronies. That is, until I reached Hagrid's door.

Just my luck. Hammering against the wood with one fist, shirt untucked and scruffy as ever, was none other than James Potter.

"Hagrid, open up!" James bellowed, smacking his fist against the door so hard that it must have hurt. "I know you're in there!"

"Potter!" I yelled, affronted that he would speak to a member of staff like that. Affronted, but not altogether surprised, mind you.

"Oh," he responded, dropping his arm so that it swung like a metronome at his side. "Hey, Lily."

"Why are you trying to break down Hagrid's door?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips in a gesture that reminded me unpleasantly of something Petunia often did.

"He's not speaking to me," James said glumly.

"And?"

"And… I hate it when that happens."

The sudden vulnerability in his hazel eyes caused me to soften slightly. "What did you do?"

"I… nothing," he said evasively.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Nothing _intentional_," he allowed. I bit back a laugh, and then suddenly wondered what the hell was wrong with me. I'd never wanted to laugh at something James Potter said before.

"Of course, because you're never intentionally hurtful, are you, Potter?"

There was a heartbeat where neither of us so much as breathed. His hazel eyes flashed with some unfathomable emotion.

"That's not fair," he levelled at me.

"It's true, though," I replied, not backing down.

"Really? When was the last time you saw me hex anyone? Go on, give me a date. Hell, a month!" James's eyes were suddenly blazing in furious challenge.

"I can't just extract a particular instance! Go through the detention records, there's bound to be a date or two in there!"

"Yeah, but maybe I've changed!" he shot back.

"And why would you do that?" I challenged.

"Because maybe I've realised that hurting people isn't so funny anymore after what happened this summer!"

The silence that rang out then was even more pregnant than the first.

"Are you talking about the Prewetts?"

"Fabian was my friend," he whispered, his gaze dropping. In a very familiar gesture, he reached up one hand to rumple the back of his hair. "I… it's all getting serious, now. I figure it's time to grow up."

For the first time in my life, James Potter had rendered me speechless.

"I'm sorry, Prongs," I whispered, and I meant it.

He jumped, and regarded me with a searching look. It took me a while to work out what I could possibly have said to make him look so suspicious, and then I realised.

I'd called him Prongs.

He knew that I knew.

"Remus told you," he surmised, the calculating look melting away. "He told you what he is."

"I figured it out," I admitted. "But it took me longer to figure out the rest. Padfoot? Prongs? Wormtail? It was obvious once I'd clicked."

Potter's face broke into a genuine smile. "You're too smart for your own good, Evans."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded. He gave a sigh that suddenly made him sound about twice as wise as I did. It was a strange and unsettling feeling.

"Just that you're smarter than anyone gives you credit for. And I give you credit for a lot."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he decided, catching and holding my gaze. I felt a peculiar sensation in the pit of my stomach as he stared at me intently, as though my insides had dropped out. "It's amazing."

With that, he turned back to Hagrid's door and resumed banging heartily on it, issuing a long stream of dire threats as he knocked. Unable to explain the sudden expansion of my chest, I backed away slowly, and let my legs carry me back to the Gryffindor tower without even realising how I got there.

I pulled on my pyjamas and slid into bed, despite the earliness of the hour. As I lay looking up at my red and gold canopy, I futilely tried to make sense of the confusing mishmash of thoughts swirling in my brain. Feeling my eyelids getting heavy, I allowed myself to succumb to sleep.

That was the first time I ever dreamed about Potter.


End file.
